Between Sea and Sky
by Nora Mutao Frost
Summary: Zareth finds a mysterious woman who knows a lot about his and Dannys past. Meanwhile Cryptor has to put Mindroid back together and continue searching for Inky...but whose side are they on?
1. Chapter 1

**_Authors Notes: Thanks so much for all the traffic I got for the previous fic. But please don't forget to review. It tells us how we're doing._**

 ** _Zareth belongs to Grumpy-Zane_**

 ** _Inky and Danny belong to me._**

 ** _Ninjago belongs to Lego_**

* * *

 ** _Between Sea and Sky_**

 ** _Fractured Code_**

 ** _Chapter 12_**

 ** _Under_**

It was a little comfort looking up through the grate at the moon. Hopefully her family could see it too. It barely broke through the clouds. But it was there. Shining brightly. She jumped when the grate opened and someone was thrown in too. This caught Inky off guard she wasn't to sure who this person was, but their eyes bore a hole into her. He looked around at her. He looked a lot like Zane did. Only his skin was just as dark as her Uncle Cryptor or Min. But the hair was blacker than night. When he got up his joins grind. It sounded incredibly painful. She rushed forward to help him. When she touched his hand and elbow he pushed her back. She gasped seeing the Sons of Garmadon symbol rubbing off on his jacket and the number 103 at the top. She remembered them from a few years back. The whole streets were full of people. Everyone was so afraid of...something. She couldn't remember. She was far too young to know everything. She backed away from him.

"Are you alright?" She asked and jumped hearing the wave hitting the side of the hollowed out area. It made weird gulping noises from the holes. Water flooded the floors again. It was up to Inky's ankles. Her feet were soaked. She gasped having been picked up by this odd nindroid. Placing her on his shoulders he made a whine noise and pointed to the ceiling. Inky looked up trying her best to reach the grate. She strained and grunted. She gasped when she was lifted higher. Having been lifted from his shoulders and pushed higher with his arms. He was strong, but they were still not high enough. Her fingers scrapped the metal.

'I can get us out...I really can.' Gaya said as if she were amused at what she was doing. Inky growled and then gasped hearing the nindroids arm pop and fail. There was an electrical whine and Inky fell to the stone wet floor. She gasped holding her hip. She felt the old wound there hurting her really really badly. She looked up at the nindroid.

"Well that smarted." She said rubbing her side. Momentarily feeling dizzy she sat up and leaned against the wall. She took a deep breath and gasped when her stomach growled loudly. She was hungry. She hadn't eaten for a day and a half. Actually that would probably be two days. She was so tired too. "At least I'm not clay anymore." She whispered closing her eyes. She felt the nindroid sit down next to her. She looked up at him. It wasn't anything really right. She didn't know him and he didn't know her. So what was up with him?She closed her eyes and started to nod off when she opened her eyes again about an hour later she wasn't leaning against the man anymore. Actually he was looking up at the grate. His arm was pulled up and he was fixing it using his own hands. It popped and sparked and he yelped in pain again. She stood up and walked over to him. Fishing a tool from her pocket she had gotten from Cryptors bag that she was going to use to fix mindroid. He snatched it from her and pushed her away. Inky growled.

"Such a jerk… So hey...what's your name anyways?" she asked. He looked up showing her his gutted vocal cords. He must have been in a big fight and had them pulled out or something. She held up her hand. Inky floated in the air. Spelling the alphabet. He looked amazed for a moment there and narrowed his eyes and just pointed to the E.

"That's it?" She asked he shrugged and nodded his head. He touched the ink spelling out something on the wall. "Just a line of experiments and you were the fifth one? Makes sense. So did Julien, or Gaya make you? Or Borg?" She asked. He shook his head and took more ink.

"A man by the name of Dr. Gilbert? He was killed by a competitor." She read and sighed.

"My mom was made by Dr. Julien. My Aunt was made by Borg." She smiled rocking back and forth on her heels. She yawned and jumped when she heard something pop again. She looked up and narrowed her eyes seeing the fire shadow on the side of the grate. "Kade you chicken!" Inky yelled and gasped when a bone fell down into the water. It was a chicken bone. "Oh haha...your very funny...but gross." She growled and sat down feeling the water rush in again. "We're going to drown here E…" Inky whispered hugging her knees. "Hopefully Zareth gets here in time."

(0)

"Your an idiot." Zareth was a little tired of hearing her voice. He had picked up a large stick and was using it as a cane. He had to get to the cottage. He needed to get to his Inky. He was so worried about her. She was there with Mindroid. If Kade and Hillary had as many 'friends' as he figured then he was going to go after them. They were going to kill Inky and Mindroid and he was 50 miles from her. He needed to get a car or something. Right now however he just limped up the gravel sidewalk.

"You said you weren't going to fly me. So I'm just going to have to walk."

"I wasn't built to carry people. Your even lucky I'm here! If my sister hadn't of called for aid I would have let you drown." Her voice boomed in his chest. She commanded superiority.

"Wait...Danny asked you for help?"

"If that is what you are calling her then yes." River said holding up her hand as a car drove by splashing water everywhere. The water didn't hit them. It just disappeared into a cloud of vapor.

"What do you mean 'what I call her' she's Danny."

"She is called something else to us."

"Something else? She was reprogrammed by Spencer what was she called be…"

"Spencer didn't call her Danny. It was 'Gina. I'm amazed you haven't seen her yet."

"Dr. Spencer's first name was Virginia Danielle Spencer."

"Wait so...they're two different people then?" River turned and nodded to Zareth.

"One was Angela's twin sister while the other is a nindroid created to do her work once she's dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah...dead. Spencer would be 83 now."

"If Danny isn't her name...then what is it?" River turned and looked at Zareth and shook her head.

"Maybe you should ask her...when you see her. But for now...you are exhausted. You should sleep." She walked into the woods and pulled a blanket from her pack and rolled it out. She motioned for Zareth to lay down.

"Next to you? I'm sorry I don't...I...I'm not that kind of man. I'm sorry if y…" River burst out laughing and waved her hands.

"No...its cold...its safer to sleep together." She said and shook her head rolling onto her side facing away from him. Zareth curled up behind her.

He lay there for a second thinking of his sister. His head was beginning to lul a little.

'Lyra...her name was Lyra.' Zane whispered. Zareth slowly began to smile.

"Its a beautiful name." He whispered.

'You should tell her when we see her next.'

(0)

Mindroids head hurt sooooo much. He ran his fingers to one side feeling something sharp in his elbow. He looked down to see tube. He slowly followed it with his fingers and then felt another elbow. He slowly turned his head and saw Cryptor laying there. He breathed evenly.

'General what else did you do?' seeing something else on his chest having been broken open and taken out. He looked down to see the slightly larger part. They were built differently. Cryptor however was built to run at only 10% capacity which allowed for him to use his own parts to fix someone else. Mindroid wasn't that lucky. Although he wished he was. He looked around at his general again. His optics were online. He watched him slowly turn over and address his commander.

[They took her. She was about to try to fix me…] He was speaking in droid. It was all he really could speak. Except short one word speech.

"Min...did she stab you?" Mindroid ran his fingers along his wounded belly. He slowly looked up at Cryptor. He couldn't lie to him. He was his general after all.

[I like to think of this as a kiss.] It was his way of saying it wasn't her fault, that she was forced to do it. Cryptor nodded and sat up pulling the line from his arm and then wound it around Mindroids arm. Just in case he needed to access his pump line quickly.

"We need to go get more oil for you. You were running on empty. I had no choice but to fuse a line with you." He helped Mindroid up. "Come on Stumpy. Toothpick shouldn't be to far behind." He picked up the suitcase.

[Sire...is that Danny? Why did he entrust her to you?]

"He didn't, he fell in a river." He barked with laughter as he walked.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Authors Notes: There we go another chapter done. I'm technically finished with part 3. Which is called Gold Fields. Big reveal in part 3 chapter 6._**

 ** _Please please please Read and review!_**

* * *

 ** _Between Sea and Sky_**

 ** _Fragmented Code_**

 ** _Chapter 13_**

 ** _No Hope_**

When he first met Danny there wasn't ever a time where he thought they'd be here. He always just thought it would be Spencer they were against and never anyone else. Perhaps that was Peaches in him. Such a novice. So ill informed about the world around him. No one was who they appeared to be. Even Danny wasn't who she was supposed to be. He was thankful for that. He was proud to be her brother. Such a sweet woman, oh how he wished she were there. He always knew what to do. It was almost like she were here. Whispering encouragement in his audio. Such a bright light, caring soul, and beautiful nature.

"Danny?" He whispered slowly opening his eyes to see a figure in front of him. But it wasn't her. He sighed looking at the still glowing embers of the fire next to him.

"I am not Danny." River said throwing something down into the water and pulled it back out. A very large fish flopped around on her wooden spear. "Its spawning season. Fish is plentiful." River said pointing to the fire. "Stoke it if you don't mind."

Zareth poked at the fire and threw another block of wood on the fire. River held out her hand and there was something that looked like water or a very clear crystal in her palm. She used it to slice into the fish.

"How?" Zareth watched it clean the fish. An activity he hated to do.

"I am called River because I can use the moisture in the air to cut things." She looked up at Zareth and smiled almost evilly. "I can take the moisture in your blood and bend it to my will too. Lucky for you, I like my sister came with our own sub hard drives." She sighed and pushed the fish meat onto sticks and held them over the fire with another stick on either side.

"Could Danny?"

"She and Midnight...were unique. The moon and the stars. Both created from the same power source. Much like Zane had done for Pixal. They both have the same...a power source created from a falling star, hammered into creation by Dr. Julien and Angela. There were three spheres created. Mine and another, Lyra and Gabriel, Zane and Echo. Zane kept his power source in full till Echo was finished...sadly. Father died before he was able to give it to our little brother."

"Lyra…" Zareth ran his fingers through his hair. "What...is hers?" River laughed and shook her head.

"Oh I thought that was self explanatory. The Lyra and Gabriel are the sun and the moon. They hold the power of the stars." River smiled and shook her head. "It was deemed to powerful by Dr. Julien. But oh...the kindness when she first arrived." She took a deep breath throwing a rock into the water causing a few fish to jump. "And they took that away." River was visibly upset by this. "Father wasn't going to just her off or throw her away. He was just going to tone the power down a bit. He never wanted her to become...a weapon." River took a deep breath trying her best to stay calm. She jumped when she felt Zareth take hold of her wrist. She looked up. He could see her purple eyes under her silky blue hair.

"She told me that when she saw me...it was my eyes that caused her to stop everything. Her previous programming, the life of an assassin, her desire to kill."

"Theirs a sibling code that we all must abide by. It was fathers way of protecting us from one another. You have Zane within you." River said and shrugged her shoulders. ."It was he who saved your life. Don't sugar coat it. She's...not as innocent as that." Zareth looked around at her.

"Are you telling me my sister. My Dannygirl has been lying to me this entire time?" Zareths voice rose.

"Don't be silly. She loves you." River laughed. "But...now...the way she is. She might not even know who you are. Theirs just so much going on."

"Why does that matter?" Zareth growled as she walked over to the treeline and pointed behind her.

"I'll show you." Zareth blinked and stood up he walked over to a treeline and peaked through seeing an old observatory.

"Angela...loved the stars." He whispered

"Angela Oolope." The name caught his attention.

"What?" He whispered. It sparked a memory within himself. It hurt. It really really hurt. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees.

"Zareth?" River got down on her knees and tried to get him to turn over. His eyes were flashing on and off going in and out of focus. He was gasping for air holding his neck.

"I was...I was...killed...my head. Help...Help me…" He fell limp in Rivers arms.

(0)

Inky gasped and coughed up water again. The water was up to her chest and rising still. It was rising much much faster now that the tide was coming in completely. She gasped and let a small scream out when another rushing could be heard. She gasped feeling the rush push her forward throwing her to the side. She went under, having gasped for air. Water went into her lungs. She felt someone grab hold of her and pull her onto a small incline. She coughed up the water into the rushing waters and leaned back looking up at Mr. E. E looked over her and shook his head pointing to the grate.

"Its not that simple. I'm only a little g…" She saw the doors open and familiar red eyes looked around and then spotted her. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Mindroid!" She cried out and gasped when the water began to rush. Both her and Mr. E were tossed to the side. Spinning around and around as the water came in. "Uncle M…" She went under. Her grip on Mr. E was pulled away. The water rushed into her lungs. She couldn't breath. She began to lose herself in the cold.

'Hold on child...I shall help.' Gayas laugh echoed throughout her mind.

'No...please...don't.' Inky found herself feeling incredibly empty. Thrown into a corner. Lost.

Inky reached out grabbing hold of someones hand. This hand pulled her out Cryptor looked on at Inky as she coughed up the water.

"Are you alright?" He scanned her seeing that it was much to cold for her. Placing his cloak over her shoulders.

"I am well General. I grow tired of these childish games. Come we have a war to plan." The voice was Inkys but far more harsh sounding. Cryptors optics grew purple and he followed his mistress. Mindroid glared at the grate. A familiar set of red eyes glaring at them. He turned and followed Cryptor.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Authors Notes: One more chapter after this one. Then starts Part 3 'Gold Fields' Which has five chapters._**

 ** _Please read and review_**

* * *

 ** _Between Sea and Sky_**

 ** _Fragmented Code_**

 ** _Chapter 14_**

 ** _Angela_**

River looked over Zareth. Beads of sweat along his face dripping onto the dirt below him. She had given him medication for the fever he had but it didn't seem to be helping. Something was going on mentally. Something she couldn't help him with nor wake him from. She picked the cloth from his forehead and dipped it back into the cool spring water she had got. Placing it back onto his head. At least it wasn't that hot outside and the water was cold from the mountains. Every so often she'd pour a bucket full onto him. Just how do you take care of a feverish cyborg?

She ran her fingers across his forehead trying to get the caked hair from his forehead. His hair loose around his face was something she wasn't used to. Seeing him through Dannys eyes all those years ago his hair slicked back, that unmistakable smile. All of that gone. What could have happened to cause him to lose hope like this? Who was missing? She knew Danny was locked up tight within her mind. But who was missing? Who did he need to be here?

There was a pop coming from the trees behind her. She jumped up a glowing mass forming along her arm. A sword of sorts perhaps. The lantern light was all she seen for a few moments. The lantern rose up over the head and she was able to see who was there. Rivers face broke into a smile and she nodded her head to the woman. She was old and her hair was gray. But oh those bright blue eyes were unmistakable.

"Mother…" River whispered and stood up bowing to the woman respectfully.

"Come...bring him with you." She said. River threw the water onto the fire before turning back to Zareth and picked him up following the lantern as it bounced along the hillside. "I saw your fire and thought you might just be a traveler. Who is he?"

"This is Zareth. The one searching for Danny."

"Oh that Cyborg you were telling me about?" Angela smiled down at him and sighed. "Poor thing. Lets get him inside and straight to bed."

"Mother. What of Danny?" River asked as Angela opened the door.

"Later. Right now we've got a lot of work to do." She said leading her up to a bed. She lay Zareth down and pulled off his shoes.

"Goodness...his shoes are huge." She looked at the platforms and sighed. She looked around at her mother who walked over with ice in a cloth. Placing it onto his head and sighed.

"Lets see if we can get him to drink this." Angela handed River a glass of iced water. River pulled Zareth into a sitting position and tipped the drink into his mouth. He took a few swallows and let his head fall to her shoulder.

"Danny?" He whispered opening his eyes a little. He looked around the room and his head fell back onto his shoulder.

"Here Zareth take this." Angela poured something into his mouth. He swallowed but it tasted horrible. He shuddered and looked at the woman. He was wide awake now.

"What was that?!"

"Beetroot, garlic powder, mint drops, and lemon grass. With a few other choice things thrown in. Its good for pulling down fevers. You'll be just fine now." She said. Zareth ran his fingers over his head and then spotted River.

"Thats Angela Oolope." She told him. He looked surprised for a second and then looked around at the woman who turned.

"I'm the second Angela though. I was named after my mother who was married to Colby." She said

"I was once...Colby."

"I know...you are two people at once. My son...and my great great great well...not by blood. But by power my father was the carrier for the power of melding. I never got it though. My brother carried it on and passed it onto his children. But none fused with people. I...was unable to have children because of an accident. So Archie did what he could and created children for us. River here is my eldest. She has a partner out there somewhere hidden by Archie but we never heard from her. I expect she's gone now. Then there was Lyra and Gabriel. Lyra of course is Danny your...Danny." She ran her fingers along a large metal container. "This is Danny now." There was a symbol of a harp along the top of the box. There was a bright green light at the top.

"My Dannygirl." He ran his fingers over it and sighed.

"Can we put her back into a new body? I have her old one…"

"That body will never be able to house her ever again." This caught his heart off guard and he looked around the room for something...anything to hold onto. He needed something to ground him. "Oh stop that!" Angela barked. Zareths optics locked onto her.

"Its not like the situation hasn't been planned for Zareth. Father planned for this situation because she was a soldier. He planned for a possibility that she might be destroyed in battle. If she was destroyed in battle she'd come back here and the military would just write her off as destroyed. Which wouldn't be true. She'd be here." River said running her fingers along another black box with the river symbol on it.

"That one yours?" Zareth asked. River nodded her head and looked up when Angela approached Zareth. Her hand around something about the size of a cassette tape.

"I need you to insert this into the back of the newer model though. This one isn't as young as the body she's in. I'm afraid if she were to come back she wouldn't have the memories she gained within this new body though." Angela sighed and looked down at her feet. "I wish I could do more for you Zareth. But I can tell you this. I've been listening to Dannys algorithms. She's never been so happy as she has since she's entered this new life. Whatever happens I...I'm glad she met you and the others. She loves you all so very m…" Something exploded near the beach. Angela gasped as she heard someone laughing.

"Inky?" Zareth called out. "Babe where you at. Its your Uncle Zareth." He walked out the door and saw the unmistakable look of pure loathing on Inkys face. Ink snaking up her face. Claws on her hands. Ink cascading down her body like a dress.

"Babe?"

"Zareth...sweetheart. Your in my way." She snapped her fingers. Both Mindroid and Cryptor walked up the steps looking over Zareth with purple eyes. "You've got to die now."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Authors Notes: Last chapter for this part. Part 3: Gold Fields will be out next week Sunday as usual. Theirs five chapters to it._**

 ** _Please Read and Review_**

* * *

 ** _Between Sea and Sky_**

 ** _Fragmented Code_**

 ** _Chapter 14_**

 ** _Never_**

Zareth looked from one person to the next. Slightly confused by what was going on. But luckily he didn't really have to know. All he knew was Cryptor, and Mindroid were coming after them. His Inky and Danny where on the other side of them. He needed to get to them.

"How about this Zareth? I'm in a good mood tonight. So I'll let you choose. Inky…" Zareth watched as Inky fell to the floor with a gross splat. Gaya stood over her. A spear in hand. Her foot raising up resting on the suitcase. "Or your Danny."

Zareth watched the nindroids circling him.

'This is bad.' Zane whispered

'Zman...Danny would kill us all if we chose her over Inky.' Zareth knew that. It was a no brainer and it hurt.

Dodging to the left moving away from Cryptors attack kneeing him in the stomach bringing his fist down on the back of his neck. Mindroid jumped up latching onto Zareths back punching at him.

"Give me back my baby!" Zareth yelled throwing Mindroid over his shoulder. He went right through Gaya. So that means she was a lot like the overlord when he first existed.

"You know these two weren't always working for me. When Cryptor was in that sorry state on Captain Vans ship I got to him there. Just a little virus that grew and festered. He himself spread the virus into Mindroid there. Slowly but surely he became mine too. Both corrupt and once again working for the Overlord." She ran her fingers over Cryptor who leaned into her touch.

"Danny...wouldn't be to happy about this." Zareth spat the oil and blood from his mouth.

"Oh and whys that?"

"They are our brothers." River said from the door. Her eyes bronzed with anger.

"Oh look...one of the rogue hornets."

"I am not a hornet. Neither was Danny. We are angels. One of the original six. I am River, and you have my sister and her offspring."  
"Offspring!" Gaya yelled. "This is just an excuse obtained by one of my puppets!"

"Puppets…" River smiled and looked around at her mother who was hiding behind a door. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "I can not stop you. But I can insure they get away." River said. Zareth looked up at River who looked at Zareth apologetically.

"She loves you three so much. I can feel in through the connection." Zareth realized what was going on...all to late. With a bright flash. "I could feel her laughing." River whispered. It was the last thing he heard. He woke up with Inky, and Danny in a box car going someplace else. Without any idea as to how he even got there. He reached over touching Inkys forehead. There was a bit of a fever there. He reached over to open the suitcase. Danny lay there as she normally did. Quiet. Peaceful looking but her eyes were slightly opened. Zareth sat up and touched her face.

"You were scared...weren't you?" He said smiling. "Its okay babe. Your brothers here." He said kissing her forehead. "Everythings alright."

With a loud pop both nindroid and human sat there. Back to back.

"Hey Zane?" Dareth asked. Zane turned his head a little.

"You okay with this choice? I know you miss Pixal."

"She knows we're alright. I send her progress reports." Zane reached over running his fingers over Inkys tired face. Her eyes were sunk in and her breathing came in slow hiccups. "For right now...Inkys my main priority. Pixal has inquired on her desire to perhaps have children." He said. This was music to Dareths ears.

"Good luck man...they're a blessing...and a curse. Specially teenagers." He said and leaned back again. "Guh...I could kill for a puffy potsticker."

"You would." Zane chuckled.

"Just what did she do anyways?"

"EMP...knocked me out cold and in doing so knocked out Zareth and any nindroid around. Luckily those black boxes the CPUs were in...were shielded with lead."

"You okay?"

"No lasting damage. But River...she's gone."

"Gone…" Dareth took a deep breath and ran his fingers over the suitcase. "She knew you'd be okay. Lead lined. Midnights idea. She's sm…" Dareth fell sideways and started to snore lightly. Zane smiled down at him.

"Humans…"


End file.
